It’s with heavy hearts that Racer X reports the loss of Jason Berry, a former ad salesman at our company and one of the heartiest, funnest, and friendliest people we have ever met. The Englishman came to our company in the early 2000s, as the British friend of our British art director David Langran.
Jason, of Haywards Heath, England, quickly engrained himself into the early days of Racer X culture, when our magazine, staff, and reputation were just beginning to build. Berry found a spot on our Morgantown, West Virginia, staff doing all sorts of jobs, literally starting in the mail room, working his way into dealer relations, and eventually into ad sales. That was just the serious stuff, though. His real legacy with our company came between assignments, through friendships, road trips, and so many incredible stories. He was a legend. Every trip with Jason was an adventure, and be it at an iconic destination like Las Vegas, Anaheim, Laguna Seca or back home to Europe, or simply another night at Mario’s Fishbowl in Morgantown, there was never a dull moment. JB, as we called him, was on top of everyone’s best friend list.
After a decade at our company, Jason eventually took his sales talents into the automotive sector, but we never lost touch with our friend. We had traveled the world with him, and had the greatest times of our lives with him. We always wanted to do that again, and took the opportunity to rekindle that spirit whenever paths crossed. Just recently, we saw Jason at Motocross of Nations at Assen in Holland, assisting his good friend Mark Chamberlain, team manager of Team Great Britain.
Jason had made his way back home to England over the summer and began working for a bicycle shop, while reconnecting with some of his old roots in the British BMX scene. Tragically, he passed Friday night in a car accident. Jason was 46 years old.
He will be missed. He will never be forgotten. Cheers, JB. Rest in Peace.
